pypj[.]org

The Python Software Foundation has warned victims of a new wave of phishing attacks using a fake Python Package Index (PyPI) website to reset credentials. Accessible at pypi.org, PyPI is the default source for Python's package management tools, hosting hundreds of thousands of packages and providing developers with a centralized platform to distribute third-party software libraries. Python Software Foundation developer Seth Larson said the phishing emails request targets to "verify their email address" for "account maintenance and security procedures," threatening them with account suspensions and redirecting to a phishing landing page at pypi-mirror[.]org. "If you have already clicked on the link and provided your credentials, we recommend changing your password on PyPI immediately," Larson said. "Inspect your account's Security History for anything unexpected. Report suspicious activity, such as potential phishing campaigns against PyPI, to [email protected]." The threat actors aim to steal the victims' credentials, which will likely be used in subsequent attacks to compromise Python packages they've published on PyPI with malware or to publish new malicious packages. These attacks are part of a phishing campaign that also used the pypj[.]org domain in July to trick potential victims into logging in to a fake PyPI site. Larson advised PyPI package maintainers to never click on links in emails and to use password managers that auto-fill credentials based on domain names. To further ensure their accounts are protected against hacking attempts, they should also use phishing-resistant two-factor authentication (2FA) methods, such as hardware keys, and share suspicious emails with others before taking action. Users can also help take down these phishing campaigns by reporting domains as malicious and contacting registrars to have the domains removed, to block attackers' attempts to trick other PyPI users. Last week, the Python Software Foundation team also invalidated all PyPI tokens stolen in the GhostAction supply chain attack in early September, confirming that the threat actors had not abused them to publish malware. In March 2024, PyPI also temporarily suspended user registration and new project creation after threat actors published hundreds of malicious packages disguised as legitimate ones. Overall prevention scores can hide what happens after initial access. Once attackers are using valid credentials, prevention drops sharply. The Blue Report 2026 measures defenses technique by technique across 338 million simulations run in customer production environments. Get the report

The Python Software Foundation warned users this week that threat actors are trying to steal their credentials in phishing attacks using a fake Python Package Index (PyPI) website. PyPI is a repository for Python packages, accessible at pypi.org, that offers a centralized platform for developers to distribute and install third-party software libraries. It hosts hundreds of thousands of packages and is the default source for Python's package management tools. "PyPI has not been hacked, but users are being targeted by a phishing attack that attempts to trick them into logging in to a fake PyPI site. Over the past few days, users who have published projects on PyPI with their email in package metadata may have received an email titled '[PyPI] Email verification' from the email address [email protected]," the PyPI admin Mike Fiedler cautioned. "This is not a security breach of PyPI itself, but rather a phishing attempt that exploits the trust users have in PyPI. The email instructs users to follow a link to verify their email address, which leads to a phishing site that looks like PyPI but is not the official site." After opening the malicious website, the targeted users will be prompted to sign in, with the requests sent back to PyPI to trick the users into believing they have logged in to PyPI. However, the attackers are instead harvesting their credentials, which will likely be used in future attacks to infect Python packages they've uploaded to PyPI with malware or to upload new malicious packages onto the platform. The PyPI admins have also added a banner to PyPI's homepage, warning users of this phishing attack, and are now working to find a way to disrupt this ongoing campaign. "We are also waiting for CDN providers and name registrars to respond to the trademark and abuse notifications we have sent them regarding the phishing site," Fiedler added. Python developers and PyPI users who have received these phishing emails are advised not to click the embedded links and to delete the email immediately. Those who have already entered their credentials on the pypj[.]org phishing site, should immediately change their PyPI password and inspect their accounts' Security History for suspicious or unexpected activity. In February, the Python Software Foundation introduced 'Project Archival,' a new system designed to help PyPI publishers archive their projects, indicating to users that no updates are expected. PyPI was also forced to temporarily suspend user registration and the creation of new projects in March 2024 due to a malware campaign linked to threat actors who uploaded hundreds of new malicious packages masquerading as legitimate projects. Overall prevention scores can hide what happens after initial access. Once attackers are using valid credentials, prevention drops sharply. The Blue Report 2026 measures defenses technique by technique across 338 million simulations run in customer production environments. Get the report

The maintainers of the Python Package Index (PyPI) repository have issued a warning about an ongoing phishing attack that's targeting users in an attempt to redirect them to fake PyPI sites. The attack involves sending email messages bearing the subject line "[PyPI] Email verification" that are sent from the email address noreply@pypj[.]org (note that the domain is not "pypi[.]org"). "This is not a security breach of PyPI itself, but rather a phishing attempt that exploits the trust users have in PyPI," Mike Fiedler, PyPI Admin, said in a post Monday. The email messages instruct users to follow a link to verify their email address, which leads to a replica phishing site that impersonates PyPI and is designed to harvest their credentials. But in a clever twist, once the login information is entered on the bogus site, the request is routed to the legitimate PyPI site, effectively fooling the victims into thinking that nothing is amiss when, in reality, their credentials have been passed on to the attackers. This method is harder to detect because there are no error messages or failed logins to trigger suspicion. PyPI said it's looking at different methods to handle the attack. In the meanwhile, it's urging users to inspect the URL in the browser before signing in and refrain from clicking on the link if they have already received such emails. If you're unsure whether an email is legitimate, a quick check of the domain name—letter by letter—can help. Tools like browser extensions that highlight verified URLs or password managers that auto-fill only on known domains can add a second layer of defense. These kinds of attacks don’t just trick individuals; they aim to gain access to accounts that may publish or manage widely used packages. "If you have already clicked on the link and provided your credentials, we recommend changing your password on PyPI immediately," Fiedler said. "Inspect your account's Security History for anything unexpected." It's currently not clear who is behind the campaign, but the activity bears striking similarities to a recent npm phishing attack that employed a typosquatted domain "npnjs[.]com" (as opposed to "npmjs[.]com") to send identical email verification emails to capture users' credentials. The attack ended up compromising seven different npm packages to deliver a malware called Scavenger Stealer to gather sensitive data from web browsers. In one case, the attacks paved the way for a JavaScript payload that captured system information and environment variables, and exfiltrated the details over a WebSocket connection. Similar attacks have been seen across npm, GitHub, and other ecosystems where trust and automation play a central role. Typosquatting, impersonation, and reverse proxy phishing are all tactics in this growing category of social engineering that exploits how developers interact with tools they rely on daily.